BBC bosses defy calls to quit over scandal of fake TV phone-ins

Deputy director general Mark Byford was forced to defend his position and that of director general Mark Thompson to MPs, deflecting claims that they should go if investigations prove they could have done more to stop the scams.

Mr Byford was called to an emergency meeting of the culture select committee today following revelations of bogus phone-ins on shows including Comic Relief and Children In Need as well as footage appearing to show the Queen storming out of a photo shoot.

Mr Byford replied: "Three people who are in senior positions have been asked to stand back while investigations take place. We are being very open but it's not right to give any further debate because they are live and under way now."

Mr Davies retorted: "What will it take for you or Mark Thompson to think, 'This is so damaging that this has happened on my watch that we will resign?'" Mr Byford said a rigorous training programme was now being implemented, adding: "What has happened is totally unacceptable and we won't in any way tolerate it.

"We were extremely stunned. I don't want to lessen the gravity of these cases but the vast majority of our staff get it absolutely, they understand the fundamental value of the BBC is integrity, honesty but this has revealed that there are cases where people don't get it."

He defended the decision to launch mandatory training for all 16,500 programming staff - a move which has angered some producers and provoked questions about cost to the licence fee payer.

He said: "Myself, Mark Thompson, right through to every researcher, every person across the BBC will be taking part.

"This has shown we can't take any chances and have to make sure everyone knows what the BBC stands for." He said the training would go into detail about what production techniques were acceptable on every programme from news to home improvement shows and highprofile entertainment.

He also confessed there may have been an unacceptable delay between the BBC being informed that its footage of the Queen apparently storming out was in fact misleading and BBC bosses' decision to issue an apology the following day.

And he said serious questions were being asked about why the new cases of faked phone-ins had only come to light now, after a trawl for problems in the spring failed to throw up any issues. But he defended the decision to use premium phone line in general.